Process of obtaining water-soluble potassium compounds



Patented Aug. 21, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD D. CHEESMAN, OF CHELSEA, MICHIGAN, AND ROBERT C. HAFF, OF HAGERS- TOWN. MARYLAND, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO WESTERN PRE- CIPITATION COMPANY, OF LOS CALIFORNIA.

ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. A CORPORATION OF PROCESS OF OBTAINING WATER-SOLUBLE POTASSIUM COMPOUNDS.

HODIQWiIlg. Application filed November 10, 1916, Seria1 No. 130,664. Renewed February 9, 1918. Serial No. 216,405.

1 of! whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, RICHARD D. Cue-EsuAN and ltmu-ru'r HAFF, citizens of the United States, and residing, respectively, at lsea. ounty of \Vashtenew and State of gun, and at Hagerstown, in the county of laashiugtun and State of Maryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pr esses of Obtaining \VateuSoluhle Potassium Compounds, of which the following is a specification.

'lhe'pretcnt invention relates to a prom ess of obtaining water soluble potassium comp-mods, and has particular reference to sin-h a process for increasing the yield of the water soluble compounds, obtainable from dust, gases, or a mixture thereof, occurring during the production of Portland cement.

The invention is founded u on the discovery that the insolubility of t e potassium compounds, or potash, which are .resent in the duster gases, or mixture thereo as above indicated, is caused by the combination of the volatile potassium compounds with ash. This ash results from the combustion of the powdered coal, employed in the process of producing Portlmd cement, as is well known. lVe have further discovered that by the employment of an alkaline compound, or a calcium compound, the normally insolubl potassium compounds may be rendered soluble. F r accomplishing this, the alka lin compound. or calcium tompound is pro ruhly added to the powdered coal, and iutii'ua cly mixed therewith.

in the practice of our process in its pre hour-l form, a suitable amount of an alkaiow compound, or calcium "imp und. such its, calcium (mid, or carbonate is intimately mixed with the powdered coal. in suitable ro ortions to :wiibire wi h all r substantuily ull oi the ash contents of the coal. o hav found that satisfactory resuits are oblllllilliltby addiut tcu parts by Weight oi llutillltiitlil c mpound to ninety by weight of ti. powicreil coal.

The constituents of Portland cement, such 2: i-lzav and lime t ne. are finely divided or nod and introduced into a rotary kiln.

s H|-\{1il' i then subjected to the action of lk ll and products of combustion which enter the kiln, from suitable burners em ploying the mixture of powdered coal and calcium compound. as fuel.

It is found that the silica iron and alumina of the ash, combine with the lime or cal cium compound equivalent. This allows the volatile potassium compounds, to combine with other elements, such as sulfur, etc, to form soluble potassium compounds.

The dust, gases, or a mixture thereof, which pass from the kiln, and contain the water soluble potassium compounds, are suitably treated to recover such compounds.

The foregoing process is at the present time believed to be the best embodiment of our invention, but we do not wish to be lim ited to the precise steps'as set forth, nor limit ourselves to the chemicals outlined above, and it is to be understood that the steps of the process may be modified in many dilferent ways that may fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. The herein described process of producing water soluble potassium compounds; which consists in mixin an alkaline compound with coal; burning such mixture; subjecting the constituents of Portland cement to the direct action of the products of combustion from the mixture whereby water soluble potassium compounds are produced in the dust, and gases which are given off by the said constituents; and treating the dust and gases to recover the water soluble potassium compounds.

2. The herein described proc-tss of pro ducing water soluble potassium compounds; which consists in mixing a calcium compound with powdered coal; burning such mixture, subjecting the constituents of Po tland cement to the direct action of the products of combustion from the mixture whereby water soluble potassium compounds are produced in the dust. and gases which are given oil by the said constituents; and collecting and treating the dust and gases to recover the Water soluble potassium con1 p unds.

3. The herein described process ofproducing water soluble potassium compounds, which consists in mixing substantially ten pounds by wei ht (if a calcium compound with substantia ly ninety pounds by weight of powdered coal so that the calcium compound will combine with substantially all of the ash contents of the coal, burnin the mixture, subjecting the constituents of ortland cement to the direct action of heat and products of combustion from the mixture, and collecting and separating out the water soluble potassium compounds.

4. The herein described process of producing water soluble potassium compounds, which consists in subjecting the constituents of Portland cement to the direct action of heat and products of combustion from powdered coal, while ensuring in the kiln at mosphere the presence of an added calcium compound to combine with the ash constituents of the coal prior to the combination of the ash constituents with the volatile potassium compounds whereby the volatile potassium compounds are free to combine with other elements for producing the water soluble potassium compounds, and recovering the water soluble potassium compounds.

In testimony whereof we affix our signa tures this 2nd day of November 1916.

RICHARD D. CHEESMAN. ROBERT C. HAFF. 

